it is depressing and dissapointing

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2008

All the concerns listed in OP are valid and rampant in the nursing profession which is driving nurses away from bedside nursing in droves. And those problems are much worse in nursing than in other professions where I've worked. Yet some nurses manage to find jobs where they do not experience most of those problems on a regular basis. Med/surg seems to be one of the worst environments. I am now happily working as a psych nurse, after being pretty miserable in med/surg environments for years. I have the impression that nurses working outside hospitals are generally happier with their jobs, and also have the impression that nurses tend to like home health and hospice jobs.

Tash4nvyblues, RN · Jul 26, 2008

All the concerns listed in OP are valid and rampant in the nursing profession which is driving nurses away from bedside nursing in droves. And those problems are much worse in nursing than in other professions where I've worked. Yet some nurses manage to find jobs where they do not experience most of those problems on a regular basis. Med/surg seems to be one of the worst environments. I am now happily working as a psych nurse, after being pretty miserable in med/surg environments for years. I have the impression that nurses working outside hospitals are generally happier with their jobs, and also have the impression that nurses tend to like home health and hospice jobs.

I agree totally, the stressors of the hospital environment can bring out the worst in some nurses. But don't be disheartened, if you do your job to the best of your ability and stay out of the office politics you will do fine. I hate to say this, but during my career, the more female nurses there are the more cat fights there have been, so once you have qaulified, move to an area that has a few males mixed in, because they often tend to buffer the work environment.

medsurgrnco, BSN, RN · Jul 26, 2008

OP, there are other problems with hospital nursing that you didn't mention. There are the needy/demanding patients and families. Management expects you to be able to keep 6+ patients and their families happy at all times, and many hospitals now expect hourly rounding and have computer documentation which increases the time needed for documentation. They keep piling on the work load, but get upset if nurses have any OT.

ilstu99 · Jul 26, 2008

Choosing a career is very personal, and I would recommend examining your own reasons for why you want to be a nurse. There are tons of jobs where you can "help people," so think of something else...or at least go a little deeper. It takes a special kind of soul to protect/comfort/care for another when they are at their most vulnerable. It's a huge responsibility that comes with huge rewards. Honestly, I love the end of every day....knowing that I did the very best I could for my patients and their families.

No, I'm not a big fan of the griping or the back-stabbing, so I don't participate in it. I'm sure some people gripe about me, but that's not my problem. The only person I can control is me. I go to work to care for patients, not make another episode of As the NICU Turns.....even though I imagine I'd look fabulous on film.

Since you have a whole year, make good use of your time. Spend some of it in a clinical setting, becoming more familiar with what the job is about. You can either work or volunteer, and could potentially visit many different units of your local facility. I chose the NICU because I appreciated the team approach, the critical care environment and RN:Patient, and that even though people have widely differing personalities....the goal is always the same, and no one has ever left me to drown by myself. (Note: I'm NOT saying that other units are NOT like that, just that mine IS :)) Not to mention...the tiny poo. That's a winner.

Oh! You could always talk to your college's academic advisor, too....and ask them how they might approach exploring nursing as a potential career. Best of luck to you!

espritjolieRN · Jul 26, 2008

If I could go back and do it all again, I'd go for accounting. Some nice little desk job where the numbers all add up and nobody dies... or poops on me.

MzMouse · Jul 27, 2008

90% of my job I love; it's the other 10% I usually end posting about!

Unfortunately, we don't tend to post and talk about our wonderful, positive, uplifting experiences. I suppose we don't need to. What we need to do is have someone understand and empathize about the stuff that drives us crazy.

nursecass · Jul 28, 2008

If I could go back and do it all again, I'd go for accounting. Some nice little desk job where the numbers all add up and nobody dies... or poops on me.

Then you should! There is no reason to stay in nursing, especially bedside nursing, if you don't want to. I understand that you may have personal difficulties that prevent you from going back to school, but this is one of the biggest things that gets to me. If you don't like your job/situation, do something to change it! Not to mention that you can have a little desk job in nursing if that's what you really want and you don't want to go back to school.

Sorry to be so negative, but I can't tell you how many NURSES discouraged me from going into nursing because they hated their jobs. If you dislike your job so much, be a little proactive and change it! And from what I've seen, when a nurse no longer wants to be a nurse it very much shows in the care the give-which means it's definitely time to change! :banghead: Again, sorry for the rant, but this is one thing that really gets under my skin!

espritjolieRN · Oct 5, 2008

Then you should! There is no reason to stay in nursing, especially bedside nursing, if you don't want to. I understand that you may have personal difficulties that prevent you from going back to school, but this is one of the biggest things that gets to me. If you don't like your job/situation, do something to change it! Not to mention that you can have a little desk job in nursing if that's what you really want and you don't want to go back to school.
Sorry to be so negative, but I can't tell you how many NURSES discouraged me from going into nursing because they hated their jobs. If you dislike your job so much, be a little proactive and change it! And from what I've seen, when a nurse no longer wants to be a nurse it very much shows in the care the give-which means it's definitely time to change! Again, sorry for the rant, but this is one thing that really gets under my skin!

I've solved my situation to my satisfaction, found an RN job that suits my strengths and personality more than hospital nursing. Doesn't change the fact that if I knew then what I know now ABOUT MYSELF I would have chosen something different.

It's okay. I realize your rant's not personal, that you're a little sensitive on the subject. If I may however, your view may be a little flippant and pollyanna... if you don't like it, just change it. That's not always possible... and with all due respect, it's not our job to paint a flowery picture of a difficult, demanding, stressful career so that you'll have one feel good moment about it after another. Now you'll have to excuse my rant, that's one thing that really gets under MY skin :wink2:

Peace.

pagandeva2000, LPN · Oct 5, 2008

I ditto what everyone else has said. I'll bet if you discovered forums in accounting, architeture and other professions, you would probably hear similar rants. The archtypical personalities do not change, the setting does. You will have the die-hards, the dedicated, the slackers, backstabbers, manipulators and such everywhere.

As previously stated, this is a safe venue to release frustrations because we are basically anonymous to each other, and if you notice, most do not say exactly where they work, and try to leave out specific information that will break HIPPA or reveal themselves, so, yes, you will read alot here. Do what is best for you, and if your heart is in nursing, this is where it will always lead you.